Talking-machine.



F. J. EMPSON.

'MLKNG MACHINE.

APPLICATmN 1111511 111031, 1912.

l Patented Sept. 11,1917

1 Agi/f4 i n 0X7 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J'. EMBSN, 0F SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH'WALES, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY.'

TALKING-MACHFN E.

To all whom t may concern.'

-Be it known that I, FREDERICK JAMES EMrsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements in ,Talking-Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements tin' talking machines and has been devised with the object of improving and controlling the reproduction of the sound waves.

The said invention consists in the combination with a flexible throator tubey (for example of rubber) situated at the junction of the tonefarm and horn, of a valve or plug to control the sound waves passing through said `throat lor tube and prior to reaching the horn, and means for operating said plugor valve fromthe exterior of the machine so that the operator during the rendering of a piece by the instrument may have complete control over the sound waves and be thus enabled to impart to the sound waves desirable light, and shade or expression and thus control the sound in a much more eiective manner than has been heretofore possible.4 -1

The plug or valve is preferably hemispherical and capable of being raised or lowered in the throat passage or to or from the end of its smaller aperture. One mode of raising and lowering the plug is by means of a milled head or-thumb nut outside the tone arm on which headis a spindle carrying a light wheel or a section of one immediately overthe center of the throat. The wheel or sectional wheel has attached thereto a fine silkor other suitable flexible connection to the other end of which is secured the plug. Rotation ofthe milled head in one direction causes the wheel or sectional wheel to revolve carrying the thread and consequently raising the position of the plug in the throat while rotation in the opposite direction causes the plug to descend, the passage for the sound waves being widened or contracted accordingly. A suitable spring on the spindle retains it and therefore the plug in the position desired. Another mode of raising and lowering the plug or valveis by means of a Bowden wire mechanism as 4will be hereinafter described.

'In the accompanyin drawings:

Figure 1 is a. genera `perspective view.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

-Applicaftionled December 31, 1912. Serial No. 739,521.

.Figa 2 an enlargedV detailed perspective view, and

Fig. 3 a sectional elevation illustrating the invention.

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a perspective and a sectional elevation illustrating a slight modification, and

Fig. 6 illustrates'a modified method of raising and lowering the plug or valve.

The same numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

6 is the record and 7 the tone arm carrying the usual reproducing needle. 8 is the flexible throat having the flange 9, i'lared mouth 10, and restricted aperture 11. 12 is a milled head on a spindle 13 on which is a sectional wheel or theA like 14'. To said wheel is attached one end of a thread l5 at the lower end of which is a plug or valve 16. The spindle 13 is furnished with a spring 17 which while allowing of the free ad]ustment of the spindle by the operator will retain the spindle, and the plug in any position in which it is. left by the operator. 18 is an adjusting screw. The plug is preferably rounded 0E on one side as illustrated, 19 represents an indicator and 2O a pointer to show the position oi' the plug in the throat.

By rotating the milled head 12 it is evident that the plug 16 may be raised or lowered in the throat 8 to control the volume of sound passing therethrough.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. L1 and 5 the plug 16 is caused to be raised toward or lowered from the throat aperture.

Referring to Fig. 6 which illustrates a Bowden wire mechanism for actuating the plug or valve, the end of the iiexible casing 21 of the Bowden wire mechanism is supported by a U-shaped trame 22 which has a ring 23 adapted to Joe held in place by the tone-arm 7.' The wire 24, on one end of which is mounted the valve '16, is controlled by a spring 25 within the casing 21, the said spring being arranged to 'force the wire longitudinally within the casing in a direction indicated by the arrow, thereby holding the valve normally open. The outer endof i If desired means may be provided for locking the wire so that the valve may be re,-

tained in the closed or one or more intermediate open positions; such means may conveniently comprise a pin 27 projecting from the wire 24 and adapted to slide in a slot 28 in 'the side of the casing 21. The slotl 28 is provided with notches 29, and it will be seen that it' the thumb piece is .pressed so as to bring the pin 27 opposite'one 'of the notches and then turned so that the pin engages therewith the wire will be retained against the action of its spring. Y

The preferred form of the device is the convex valve coperating with the delivery endof the throat, the effect being that the sound-Waves, in striking against the valve, are not bathed or reflected'back into the throat to interfere with the succeeding waves, but are merely deflected through the adjustable annular space between the valve and the lip of the throat, whence they pass freely into the surrounding space and out by way of the horn.

The valve, of my sound controllingl device, cooperating, as it does, with a port having a thin, elasticperiphery, canbe closed with a variety of degrees of tightness. This, by giving corresponding gradations to the tone, tends to prevent the opening and closing of the valve4 from`being abruptly noticeable to the listener. Further, because the port is so delicately elastic, it does not grip'the valve. This is advantageous because if the Valve be forciblv gripped by its-v port, it tends to pop outsuddenly when trying to withdrawit, and will produceI a sudden, abrupt effect in spite of the fact that ythe intent-ion may have been= to withdraw it gradually to produce a smooth crescendo.

What I claim is:

1. In a sound controlling device, the combination with a sound conduit of a lplug valve cooperating with'a ported member whose porthas a thin rubber lip.

2. Ina sound controllingl device, the combination with a sound conduit of a plug valve cooperating withl a ported member whose port has a thin yielding periphery.

, 3. In a sound controlling devi/ce, the combination, withl a sound-conduit of\a valve coperating with a ported member 'whose port has a thin rubber lip.

4:. In asound controlling device, the combination with a sound-conduit of a valve cooperating with a ported member whose port has a thin yielding periphery.

`5. lIn a sound controlling device, the combination with a tone-arm and horn of a valve movable into and away from a ported member whose port has a thin yielding periphery, said ported member being in the form of a tubular throat arranged to project the sound from the tone armvinto the miope@ horn without having its sides at said port in contact with thelsides of the horn.

6. In a sound controlling device, the combination of a cooperating throat and taper plug valve opposed to the sound-waves, the initial contact between said throat and yvalve being on a thin elastic periphery which permits the valve to be seated .lightl and after that with gradually increasing egrees of tightness to give a correspondingly gradual modulation to the sound as distmgushed from an abrupt open and shut effect. 7 In a sound controlling device, the combination with a tone-arm and horn of a valve movable into and away from a ported member whose port has a thin yielding lip, said ported member being in the form of a tubular throat arranged to project the sound from' the tone arm into the horn and which has a reduced cross-section at its delivery end.

8. In a sound controlling device, the combination with a sound conduit of telescoping valve parts which contact'with each other on a thin yielding periphery.

9. In a sound controlling device, the com'- bination with a sound conduit of coperating valve parts, one'of which has a thin yielding portion which initially contacts with the other valve parts.

' 10. In a sound-controlling device, the combination with asound-conduit, of a throat mounted within said conduit so'that the `sound will pass therethrough and a plug valve in the conduit outside the throat oooperating axially and internally with the mouth of the throat.

11. In a'sound-co'ntrollin device, thecombination with a sound-con uit, of-a throat ,mounted within said' conduit so that the sound will pass therethrough and a plug valve in the conduit outside the throat cooperating axially and internally with the mouth of the throat, said mouth being elastic with a thin lip. y

12. In a sound-controllin device, the combination with a sound-con uit, of a throat mounted within said conduit so that the sound will pass therethrough and a plug valve in the conduit outside the throat cooperating axially and internally-with the mouth ofthe throat, said mouth being elastic with a thin lip and the coperatngxfa of the plug valve being tapered. f

13. In a talking machine the combination of a tone-arm, a flexibletubesituated at the larger end Vof the tone-arm, a valve to control the sound waves passing through said tube, a spindle, a vwheel mounted' there# on, a flexible lconnection connectingthe said wheel and the said valve, and means for externally operating the spindle for th purpose set forth. Y

14. In a talking machine the combination of atone-arm, a flexible tube situated at the erger end 0f the tone-amil, mai having e the se waive, endl means for exemlaiff operating; the spinde for the purpose aperture at the other emi, a valve copelafsmh. ingwlth the ewer edge of the resfeted www vw .f

im, u J. *MPSON aperture of the sald flexlble 'tube m commi M M 7he sound Waves passlng' therethough, e, "Wrmesses:

spindle, a Whee mounted thereon, a exbe cennectlon eonnenng the sai Whee and.

AmXANDMeR A mmm", brEoRGE Messiaen.,

It ie hereby eetiec 'hm in a'env No, 1,240,038, granted Septemw lll, MH?, Epen the eppimiam @i Frederick mpson, of Sydney, New South Wales, ustraia, for au improvement in Taknglraehines, en error eppem'e in the printed specioatien requiring corection as foows: Page 2,1m@ 95, eaim 9, for the Word pens read pafrt; `end thahe said Letters jaten; should be reed with this correeion therein that 'bhe seme .may eenform 50 the record of the cese in .the

Patent Oce.

Signed and seaed this 12th day of February, A. E., i918,

J. T. NEWTUN,

[SEAL] Uomf/m'ssohm of Paens. C1. 181-27. 

